TFA101

Sharks have been one of my favorite animals of all time. Particularly the nurse shark. After seeing some in the local aquarium, I thought, could one be kept in the home aquarium? Obviously not, the darn things get 14 feet long!

So I looked up sharks that could be kept comfortably in captivity in a suitable sized tank (300+ gallons).

Has anybody ever had first hand experience keeping any of the "True" sharks? I'm looking at epaulettes, white spotted and brown banded bamboos, and other catsharks like that.

Any advice on what you should keep them in (i.e. indoor pond, custom made tank, etc), water parameters, and anything else useful would be greatly appreciated

**This information will be used sometime in the distant future when I have had some experience keeping saltwater setups and will not be used anytime soon!

harpua2002

Indoor pond would be cool IMO. You could use those industrial grade Rubbermaid tubs if you could find one large enough.

Shock

500 gallons is what I've heard for them. Best of luck with one, apparently they're really hard to care for?

I also have always wanted one, they're beautiful

Lord of Tetras

I did some looking, and they suggested no less then 300gal tank so i would start there. good luck. if you get one post some pictures please

TFA101

I've decided on some 300 gallons, but I need to make sure the tank is wide and long rather than tall. I've found some good information at Monster Fishkeepers, and right now I'm in no position to start a shark tank. I need to focus on starting a saltwater setup first, and then move on. That'll be in the near future, but for now, I'm still researching as much as possible on the sharks. I plan to attend a college that provides marine biology courses. That just sounds right to me, a marine biologist specializing in sharks, with a pet shark!

My favorites are the epaulette shark, and the whitespotted bamboo shark, I'm torn between the two. The white spotted bamboo sharks are hardy, docile, and beautiful, while the epaulettes are just that and they walk too!

I found some "economy pools" at walmart and REI, they seem like they could do the job. All I need to know is how to convert the pool filter to a tank filter. Any ideas?

Also, I read that these guys topple rock formations quite easily, and they are nocturnal. instead of risking a cave formation toppling and having bright lights, could I just have some large chunks of live rock and low lights to encourage activity?

And finally, can our pet sharks be pet? You see the touch pools at aquariums, and that doesn't seem to do them any harm... I only want whats best, if I should keep my hands out of the water for the sharks sake, so be it.

Lord of Tetras

hey TFA101, this is a thread i'll be watching closely. I will attempt to help you the best that i can, i enjoy sharks and i think it would be really cool to see someone on fishlore have sharks

The filter: I suggest posting in the DIY section and ask for help. does the filter have some sort of chlorine dispenser? some really fancy pool filters have those, but since its from walmart i doubt that. If it does that could be an issue later..

Rocks: i would go with smaller rocks its a 300 gal tank so... yea..(not gravel sized rocks obviously, decent sized ones) I mean don't have a huge rock formation that could be toppled over and smash/dent/break your tank.. that wouldn't be fun to clean up or see.

Petting: I've pet sharks/stingrays before but I would check to make sure what kind of sharks will let you do that. It could make the shark/sharks nervous to have your hand in there.. or with all the splashing they could attack it?

Side note: Do you know what they eat? if they eat something around the size of your hand aka fish or other meats i wouldn't be eager to stick my hand in there.

TFA101

Lord of Tetras,

Like I said, I won't be obtaining this animal for quite a while, but I would hate to be irresponsible and not research prior to buying, just so I know what I'm getting myself into. I've decided on the Whitespotted Bamboo Shark Chiloscyllium plagiosum
. I've been reading about the species and they are a harmless and sedentary species. I'm considering buying an eggcase to hatch my own instead risking the life of a sensitive juvenile during shipping. I haven't found any local sellers, so I'm keeping an eye out on Liveaquaria.com. I've found eggs for around $40.00 US.

Filter: I'm not sure, I've just been browsing and I haven't looked into the product too much yet. I know I want to be able to view the shark closely, so I might actually consider having a tank custom made for this purpose, or have an indoor pond in the garage.

Rocks: I'm thinking to incorporate some heavy rock formations in the center of the tank/pool and allow free swimming area around the perimeter and above the rocks, and definitely a softer substrate to avoid scratching the sharks belly.

Petting: I've pet sharks too, Leopard sharks, a baby nurse shark, and port jackson sharks. I've heard nurse sharks have a nasty temper, so I'd imagine the harmless Whitespotted Bamboo Shark would not mind being stroked every once and a while

I've looked at the diet, and every site have recommended live foods like feeder marine ghost shrimp and mollies to coax them to eat when first shipped. They can be fed the prepared carnivore diets, fresh shellfish and other fish later on. I've seen the labels on cans of tuna that say "dolphin safe", so i'd imagine it could also be used to feed sharks. I always have a can of the stuff around the house, so feeding might actually be a breeze.

DaKoTa NeLsOn

i have a question could i put two bamboo sharks in a 180 gallon tank. or should i just stick with one?